The iPad was once the future of computing. When it was launched in 2010, we all thought we were not going to be using desktop machine and laptops anymore.
But sales have been flat and declining for the last couple of years. It came out of the gate like a rocket and everyone bought one. The thing is, nobody has been upgrading them.
Learn about what I think are the reasons and a big change coming to iPads with this week’s Kahney’s Korner.
The drop in sales could be because people keep their iPads for several years or they pass them on to a friend or family member. But maybe Apple is to blame for the falloff.
Have they been good guardians of the iPad? Have they developed the hardware and the software in ways that make it a complete must-have device to buy?
There is one important change coming to iPad. It will come with iOS 9 and split-screen multitasking. This is really going to change the way you use your iPad and will make it much better for working on.
There is, however, an interesting wrinkle. The split-screen multitasking will be limited to iPad Air 2 and the newest hardware. I suspect Apple is doing this to encourage people to upgrade their hardware more frequently.
Not only does split-screen multitasking make the iPad better to work on, it may also make your old iPad obsolete.
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander is an expert on:
Apple and Apple history
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple leadership
Apple community
iPhone and iOS
iPad and iPadOS
Mac and macOS
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple TV and tvOS
AirPods
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
31 responses to “Kahney’s Korner: Big change coming to the iPad – but probably not yours”
I wouldn’t necessarily say that the iPad Air 2 limitation is due to any scheme by Apple to upgrade: the iPad Air 2 is the first model that has more than 1GB of RAM (in fact, it has twice that).
iOS 9 and split-screen apps is hardly going to make older iPads obsolete. They will continue to work the same as they did before iOS 9.
Correct. Limited.
IPad is for the watchers, not the doers.
HA!
If you think that, the the limit is your imagination, not the device.
Can’t mange files in folders. Can’t use an SD card. Can’t use a digital pen. Can’t use a mouse. Can’t have multiple apps onscreen. Can’t connect to a monitor. Can’t use full Office. Can’t use PhotoShop.
Can play games. Can watch a movie. Can read the news. Can post to Facebook. Gosh you’ve had a busy day. Have a lie down.
The point is you don’t HAVE to manage files – files are associated with the program you open them in. You’re limiting yourself by an old school paradigm. Plus, if you REALLY WANT to manage files (because that’s your idea of a fun Saturday night), there are ways of doing it.
You can grab pictures off an SD card if you want to transfer pictures, otherwise use Cloud storage. Don’t want to pay for cloud storage? There are plenty of places to get it free.
Can’t use a digital pen? That’s news to me… (Pencil by 53, Ink by Adobe, Creative and Fineline by Wacom, Jot by Adonit – take your pick, all excellent devices).
Multiple apps on the same screen? Well, that’s coming in iOS 9. But you’re right – you can’t have a hyperactive, multi-windowed display on you small screen. …unless you want to run a virtualized full OS. Yep, iPad can do that.
Can’t connect to a monitor? Seriously? Do you have some other input than VGA, HDMI, or DVI? Because the iPad can connect to a monitor via all of those.
Can’t use full Office? What do you use in Office that isn’t available on an iPad and how often do you use it? The Office suite on the iPad is pretty full featured. Oh, but wait, you actually CAN (thanks to Office Online).
Can’t use Photoshop? I suspect you can’t. There’s a pretty decent version of Photoshop for the iPad. There’s also Sketchbook Pro (which accepts PSDs) as well as TONS of apps that will let you do what ever you want to do to a picture.
If you REALLY HAVE to run a full OS X or Windows app, you can use Parallels Access.
On my iPad, I create art using Paper and Sketchbook Pro (with a digital pen), I create layouts (print, digital, and mobile) using Adobe’s Comp, Edit images using Photoshop (sometimes on the device, and sometimes in concert with desktop Photoshop), Create and Edit training materials using Word and PowerPoint (and present materials using PowerPoint and a VGA connector), create and edit presentations for meetings and other corporate presentations (and, yes, I can even use the company branded template thanks to AnyFont), use Safari to access the company online tools and applications, and use GoodReader and/or Acrobat to view Service Documentation for repairing equipment. And yes, that’s along with playing games, watching a movie, reading the news and posting on Facebook.
When you have a large number of files, folders can be very helpful to keep them organised. Probably not so important on an iToy I agree. SD cards on other platforms can be useful additional, transferrable storage capacity for all sorts of files. Documents, videos, music etc.
Not everywhere is cloud connected, especially when out and about (mobile).
Clearly you have never used a proper digitizer pen.
IPad to a monitor is only screen mirroring, no? You can’t attach to a second display?
Office? Macros, commenting, changing styles etc. No full Outlook. More importantly, the inability to use a mouse or trackpad on iPad for either PowerPoint and Excel. Office Online isn’t any better.
Photoshop proper is not available on iPad.
I agree iPad is ok as a dumb terminal to better OS platforms, though it still suffers the same input and output device limitations. That’s as
long as you are online of course, and not mobile. Which kind of defeats the point I would suggest.
I’m glad you have managed to battle through all the limitations and get some productive value from the iPad. Strength in adversity eh?
Apple is in the business to make money and they do so by SELLING hardware running THEIR software. I can’t blame a for profit company for making certain options only available on certain generations of devices. I believe they also know some of these options will only run up to their potential on certain generations and above due to their processors so I think it’s more than just one reason, but the main one IMO is profits. EVERY successful company has to make a profit!
1) Split-screen multitasking is NOT going to change much if anything. The iPad (and tablets in general) are still single-task devices. Everybody says “Ooo! business!!” If this was the killer feature, the Surface and Android tablets would be flying off the shelves. I think this will be a niche feature – most will use it a couple times, then never (or barely) use it again. A small number will swear by it and a (much) smaller number will have their mobile computing lives changed forever.
2) it’s already been said, but old iPads won’t run two apps side by side well enough for the user experience to be any good. In fact, the next iPad will likely need 3 or 4 GB of RAM for this to be a truly seemless experience. Have Notes open at the same time as a web browser is fine, but what happens when you want to play a game while you FaceTime?
3) Don’t say “nobody is upgrading” – that’s ignorant. LOTS of people are upgrading, just not in the numbers initially buying in. Oh, and the huge up tick in iPad sales? Not just consumers. There were a LOT of businesses that bought iPads thinking they were going to be forward-thinking, but a lack of imagination combined with economics have not spurred large in roads to upgrading.
4) I have to laugh when people expect iPads to replace their desktops. Not at the concept, mind you, but at the people saying it. The iPad HAS replaced the desktop for a large number of people (older people, students – anybody who’s digital needs and wants are fairly basic) – but to expect it’s going to replace the desktop/laptop for a tech-head… It’s not going to happen, if for no other reason that people that are into Tech don’t want one device to do everything (even if they say they do). They want to play with everything – and no one device (or even OS) is going to let them do that. It’s like someone who’s really into cars saying they expect a Harley to replace their cars.
I Jailbreak my Ipad, used plenty of tweak for multitasking multiple windows etc… It did not changed anything for me. Ipad need to be re-thinked to be not only a game pad but something I use to work, draw, take notes etc… Working on ipad sucks, synchronizing files using itunes sucks, it cannot be used as an external hard drive without hassle, it cannot be use as an secondary screen (airdisplay suck if your wifi suck). Stylus are too big and suck big time and jot touch are so expensive… I am so disappointed by ipad it is like the hardware as everything you want but does not do anything you want…
From your comment, I’m wondering why you’re using an iPad. It sounds like a better fit for you would be a Surface 3/Pro 3.
Well I would have prefer Ipad to be a clever extension to my mac than a Surface that is trying to replace my awesome computer :)
Why would Apple or any other tablet manufacturer want ipad/tablets to replace laptops and computers? It would cannibalize there own product sets and sales. Add a nice keyboard case and more cpu/memory and a table IS a laptop. It can be done but no smart company would want to take a diversified product portfolio and compress it into one salable product. The iPad fits a purpose and sells in flat but very strong numbers. Adding multitasking will make it more practical for mobile computing/use.
Actually, they WOULD want this… To a point. There’s a big market of people who wouldn’t buy a full blown computer, but an iPad fits that smaller computing footprint they need. It’s a group of people that wouldn’t buy a MacBook but would buy a cheap Windows computer. For Apple, a certain audience that replaces their (Windows) laptop desktop is a good thing.
This is AUGMENTING sales not REPLACING. A subtle but distinct difference that highly affects profitability and diversity. That market you refer to can today buy tablets in lieu of laptops and Apple/others have capitalized on this. What many are suggesting is the disappointment that Apple hasn’t produced a tablet that fully replaces a computer. They have no incentive to do so from a business perspective. Today, Apple can sell iPads, iPhones, and computers…more products, more people, more options for profit.
Augmenting sales for Apple, replacing sales for cheap Windows Laptop makes (HP, Dell, ASUS, etc.).
Having said that, Tim Cook has promoted the use of the iPad over the use of Desktop OS devices – saying he could do XX% (I don’t remember the number off-hand, but it was pretty high – 85 or 90?) of what he uses a computer for on an iPad.
As for the business incentive, Apple has always been willing to cannibilze sales of one product to promote another if it suits their needs (future direction, profit, whatever). They have done this in the past – look at the ride the MacBook Air has taken.
Off topic perhaps but isn’t it the role of chrome and android to replace the sales of low end windows computers?
Not many Apple users would consider themselves in the camp of the low-end replacements category for Windows. If they were, I doubt they would require multitasking. ;-)
So I agree tablets can do many things computers can do (See my initial comment) but Apple products are aimed at (or appeal to) technophiles that wouldn’t generally be comfortable with a low-end Windows replacement.
That said, Apple products are capable workhorses and nothing prevents someone from using a tablet to surf the web or read the news. Just like buying a high-end porsche and taking it out on sundays to the grocery store.
You have to separate “Apple Products” into Mac and iOS. People who have an iPad/iPhone don’t necessarily consider themselves “Apple Users” (in fact, there are probably more iPad owners that use Windows machines then there are that use OS X).
While none of Apple’s products are really aimed at the “low end” market, the purpose of all iOS devices are meant to appeal to the general consumer – “Power Users” in general use either Android or Windows. Users who want (or need) simplicity go for Apple’s iOS. I’m not saying this makes iOS “low end” or not capable. iPads can be workhorses (without being overly powerful) – but what makes them appealing to a mass audience is the simplicity (the anti-thesis of including a full OS X).
I would argue that iPads/iOS are NOT aimed at (and, in many cases, don’t necessarily appeal to) technophiles. You could ALMOST say that OS X is “Pro” and iOS is “Consumer” (in a sense… i know it’s much more complicated than that and there are areas of maybe/maybe not).
in order for the next ipad to be a game changer it needs a full blown OS on it. here is my frustration with ipads, when using it launches an app which launches another app and yet again. example I’m on safari looking at facebook because the app does not have the full features like the website version does. so if i click on link it has to launch another app or worse its not smart enough to know i have the app version.
another huge frustration is popups. when using flipboard it launches safari inside the app like its own browser but popups appear which can be tricky to remove as you have to hit the tiny little x on the popup which can be challenging. this is jsut some of the common issues. split screen wont get rid of the annoying popups or fix apps that dont launch apps or apps inside apps dilemma. anyone who has used an ipad long enough will know what I’m referring to. This lowers the user experience so much so i sometimes simply would rather go to my computer. next ipad needs a stylus, a physical keyboard and a full blown OSX on it. otherwise most wont upgrade or worse get the new MS surface pro 4
I agree with your annoyance, but you are absolutely wrong about it needing a full-blown OS. Would an OS X tablet be nice? Sure, but a full OS X would KILL iPad Sales. The VAST majority of iPad users buy it because it’s simplicity.
And that’s why you ofifer this on an iPad pro while the iPad Air retains iOS if Apple does not continue to innovate then ms surface pro 4 will gobble iPad sales
Al I’m saying is offer it on a separate iPad line
Yep – two different products. It probably wouldn’t be an “iPad Pro” but a more clever variation of “MacPad”.
Even so…
1) The Surface Pro won’t gobble iPad sales – not even close no matter what Apple does with the iPad. A bigger threat might be Android, but more likely it would be people just holding on to current devices. Don’t get me wrong – I have a Surface Pro 3 and I love it – it absolutely fills a niche that Apple doesn’t have in their product line. But… it doesn’t REPLACE the iPad. There are some people for whom it would replace the iPad, but it’s a VERY specific audience and NOT a mass appeal.
2) Coming out with a tablet running OS X is NOT “Innovation”. People misuse this term so much. What Apple needs to do is to come out with a product with compelling features that people want to buy – that COULD be a new feature or it could be upgraded specs that would encourage people to say “Yep – that’s noticeably better than the one i have now and I can see why this is better” – that’s much easier to show if your last iPad was the iPad 2… the Air 2 is an incredible leap forward and easily worth the buy (a MUCH harder argument to make with the Air or even the iPad 3/4).
You know what you DON’T see? people putting thier iPads down and picking up a clipboard… iPads did make those obsolete.
I gave my iPad 2 to my daughter when IOS 8 made it so cumbersome and slow I thought I needed to upgrade to an Air 2 only to discover it was the operating system that fudged it up and the new iPad hardly made any difference, as it suffered most of the same new problems. I would be content if Apple would just provide a path to “downgrade” to 7 so the GD thing would quit the incessant unexpected reloading of webpages in the middle of composing responses on them and a raft of other irritating copy & paste problem which IOS 8 introduced that 7 did not have. Their induced obsolescence could mostly be fixed by a return to the last major system.
Most of what they spend their wasted time on now is seemingly their attempt to foist the tiny (and pug ugly) iWatch a public is proving to be smart enough on which to take a pass. They better attend to what made ’em.
Always been this way.
I “invested” in iPad 1. Apple supported it for about 18 months before burning me. Apps kept crashing. IOS updates no longer supported. Apps increasingly only compatible with newer IOS versions.
Total useful life? About 2 years. They seemed to want me to buy a new one, to keep access to my Store purchases. Ha ha. Very funny. It had been the same story pretty much with the ‘reassuringly expensive’ iPod that we had bought. About 2 years of light duty service before it gave up. I vowed never to spend another penny on Apple products, ever again.
Contrast with our Bose sound system, still going strong and still supported with excellent servicing (and spares when needed) after 16 years.
Now, can you tell me which of those is the premium brand?
You folks buying Apple phones every year or two are mugs (and lets face it, they don’t last longer).
How much money you spend on phones doesn’t need to define you. A phone doesn’t need to cost 700 bucks.
There is nothing cool about being the same as everyone else. Spend that money on better clothes.
There is nothing ‘premium’ about the product, honestly.
Bose? Really? Maybe it works the same year after year, but it still sounds like crap. C’mon I had to sell a car because I couldn’t stand how the stinkin’ Bose sounded and $2000 worth of upgrades including a graphic equalizer and new speakers couldn’t make it even average. It couldn’t be just douched and replaced with something decent all together because all the safety features, windows, locks and air conditioning of the car were tied into it. There’s a reason why the saying goes, “No highs, no lows; it’s a Bose.”
Haha! Touche!
I know nothing about the sound range of Bose car systems, ours is a home system. I’m well aware that hi-fi snobs would never consider any Bose system because it uses digital processing (unless you feed it Dolby digital) so isn’t ‘pure’ hi-fi.
But for anyone other than audiophiles it produces fantastic results, automatically, every time. 5.1ch of awesomeness from any source, with incredible soundstage (close your eyes you are there stuff). It certainly has no issues with range. In fact another audiophile gripe is that it overdoes the highs and lows.
I wasn’t criticising iPhone on the camera. Had I wanted to I could have brought up the Lumia cameras.
No this is about how the hardware is designed to break, and the software support strategy is designed for obsolescence. Apple is shafting it’s own customers. But maybe they like that?
Well, I’ve come to agree with you a bit late on Apple at least, as I’ve tied the family up into Apple too thoroughly now to get out easily. It’s the biggest part of their plan, but where are you going to go, the blue screen of death?
Luckily, after my iPod and iPad experiences I wasn’t going to go there with iPhone. But I have watched friends burn through them (and a ridiculous amount of money) with horror. Broken screens, terrible scratching (was that the iPhone 5?), moisture sensor write-offs and broken connectors. The darn things are clearly designed to maximise revenue for Apple. I can’t imagine what that must be like for a whole iPhone family to be on that bandwagon. The only solution seems to be encasing in bullet proof shells, but that kinda seems to defeat the object. But if the hardware doesn’t get you, the iOS updates will it seems.
I’m on Windows/Nokia, switched from Android a couple of years ago. Absolutely love it. None of the malware and UI nightmares of Android. None of the cost or lock-in of Apple. Windows is a bit overdue new flagships, but the current top end models are about $350 new or $100-150 second hand. I’m sorely tempted with a second hand Lumia 930 while I wait for the new flagship later this year. The camera on the 930 is amazing.
My iPhone 6 Plus 128G AT&T cost $1050 either cash or paid out on a plan, and it took me 2 1/2 months of begging to get it. A big regret.
They need to make iPads able to run iOS and OS X to sell them at this point.